


Han's Liar

by Anonymous



Series: The Blossoms of Time [1]
Category: Chinese History RPF
Genre: F/F, History complient, Hàn Dynasty, except the sexuality (probably)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2015-11-13
Packaged: 2018-04-25 10:51:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4957501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wang Ma has always found life some what detestable, cursed by her father for being a girl and by her mother for almost killing her. It's never been the most desirable life, loveless marriage taking it's place too.</p><p>Yet what keeps her alive is her love for the Empress of Han and her thirst for power.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. My Fair Lady

"Warm today, don't you think my fair Lady?" Wang Ma asked, sitting beside Empress Lü.  
"Yes, it is, Wang Ma" Empress Lü nodded, her face completely vacant of any particular expression.  
"My Lady I know you are sad by Emperor Gao's passing but please, you are in charge now" Wang Ma reminded the beautiful woman, "you are in charge now. You have dispatched of Han Xin and Pang Yue so you must rid yourself of that troublesome Concubine Qi, of course our Emperor has no more use for her" Wang Ma smiled, standing and tidying Empress Lü's greying hair.  
"You're a cruel woman Wang Ma" Lü Zhi mumbled. Wang Ma gave a short, sharp bark,  
"Why, my Lady you are the one who carries out my word, you need not follow it." Of course this was true but Wang Ma did her best to keep Lü Zhi in her grips, it was terribly fun having a puppet who was Empress and now she had an Empress Dowager! This was to be such fun!

This all being said, Wang Ma did care for Lü Zhi in her own way. She had done her best to keep the woman happy while the mourning period lasted and made sure Empress Lü was most definitely healthy even though she had many foods removed from her. She had held the Empress at length and let her cry when the news of her husband's death came. She respected the mourning period as well, she too abstained from eating meat and stayed well away from her husband, though that was more so he wasn't at fault than she was. She had also kept a very close eye on her three children, all newly married she wasn't too trusting of them.

Now the mourning period was past the eldest son of Liu Bang and Lü Zhi, Liu Ying, was crowned Emperor Hui. This was actually very much against the wishes of Liu Bang, he had very much favoured his other son, Ruyi, by Concubine Qi but Wang Ma wanted her puppet. She and Empress Lü Zhi had protested furiously against this, getting many of the court officials on their side, after all Liu Ying was also the son of the Empress and therefore the rightful heir. So with a heavy heart Liu Ying had become Emperor Hui.

Wang Ma had also shown some feigned compassion here. Ten days before the coronation she had heard Liu Ying crying and she had rushed in and done her best to comfort the boy. He was only 15 and she made it out that she thought it was cruel for him to take such responsibility so young and that he should be thankful his Mother loved him. Liu Ying had actually always quite liked Wang Ma. When he was very young she had been the one to assist in looking after him and she was more of a family member than a family friend. Of course he didn't know that she was using both him and his mother.

“You look magnificent my dear boy” she had laughed when he came back to privacy, so that he might speak with his mother.  
“Thank you, Lady Wang” he sighed sadly, sitting himself down. Wang Ma smiled brightly,  
“You are Emperor! You aught to be cheerful, you're the greatest man in the land!”  
“I do not want to be so, Lady Wang Ma, now please, let my Mother and I talk” he sighed. Wang Ma made herself look downcast but bowed and left. No matter, if he was this weak then it would be easy.

As Wang Ma took her time to walk about the corridors on this joyful day she bumped into a woman she absolutely hated. Even seeing her made her very bones rattle with hate.  
“Ah, Wang Ma, isn't it a joyful day!” Concubine Qi smiled, waving to the woman, a huge smile on her face. Wang Ma did...well she did her best to smile back. Her hate for this woman had everything to do with the fact that Lü Zhi hated her. Concubine Qi had always been very close to Liu Bang and Lü Zhi had hated that so in turn Wang Ma hated Concubine Qi as well.

Concubine Qi was also very young compared to Wang Ma and Lü Zhi. While the two were approaching their 46th birthdays Concubine Qi was not yet 30 and was a whole 20 years younger than both of them. Wang Ma also hated Concubine Qi for another reason that she was hoping to use for Lü Zhi as well. Liu Bang had favoured Ruyi and he had a few supporters here and there. If Concubine Qi really wanted to then she could take power from Lü Zhi, and therefore Wang Ma, and put her son on the throne and become the all ruling power. It certainly looked like she wanted to do that, with that ridiculous cheery smile and stupid happiness over almost everything.

“Yes, Lady Qi, it is a joyful day” Wang Ma replied, forcing a beaming smile much like Concubine Qi's, “we are lucky to see the continuation of the Han line in all it's glory.”  
“Indeed, indeed” Concubine Qi laughed her stupid laugh. She gave a high pitched giggle and covered her mouth slightly while she turned her head away and looked back at you as best she could. How the former Emperor had ever found this attractive Wang Ma had absolutely no clue what so. As far as she was concerned Concubine Qi was a brain dead little girl, yes she had her looks to boast about but they were hardly anything to merit when you heard her talk. She was certainly not the kind of woman that Wang Ma would pursue.

Once her trivial little chat with Concubine Qi was finally over Wang Ma decided that perhaps she should go and see her family. She had never loved her husband and had no interest in him what so ever but she adored her children and always made sure they were at least a content. She had two sons, Shu and Chang, and a daughter, Lu. There was actually very little age gaps between them, Wang Ma had married late and then stopped being able to have children by the time she was 32, her husband, Ma Cao, was lucky he got any children at all. 

Concerning her husband the two were...grudging friends at best. They had married purely because Wang Ma needed a stable position in the court and Ma Cao had needed an heir as he was an only child and was set to inherit a decent patch of land. That was if his Father ever actually died. Ma Xin had out lived the life expectancy by 20 years now and did not show any signs of giving up any time soon. His wife, Xu Yuan, was also living quite the long time but Wang Ma actually quite liked her. She had realised that Wang Ma wasn't particularly happy in the marriage and had helped her escape off to her own fantasies from time to time.

“Mahma! Where have you been?” Lu asked when she opened the door to their rooms for her Mother.  
“With Empress Lü” Wang Ma sighed, “I mean Empress Dowager” she sighed again, “this may take some getting used to. She's still upset over Emperor Gao's death.”  
“Ah, the poor lady” Lu sighed, “I am sure she'll be happy again soon.”  
“I hope so” Wang Ma smiled, patting her daughter's hand and then going into their main room and sitting at the table and yawning.

“Did you not sleep well Mahma?” Asked a voice. Wang Ma jumped,  
“I've told you again and again Shu, do not do that! It scares me every time.” Yet she laughed and smiled at him, “you are right, I spent too much of an early morning with the Empress, she is still upset and as her friend it is my job to comfort her.”  
“That is indeed true Mother” Chang added. This time Wang Ma had actually seen him, he was sat in the corner reading through a script of some sort. Wang Ma smiled,  
“What are you reading now Chang?”  
“A text a friend of mine put together for me” Chang answered, “it's something on the Zhou kings.”  
“Alright dear” Wang Ma laughed, “you read that. Don't bore your siblings too much.”

“Hello dear” yawned a voice.  
“Hello Cao” Wang Ma sighed, the “grudging friends” was really only in Wang Ma's opinion.  
“Hey, I called you something nice” he whined.  
“Please, don't act like that” Wang Ma groaned, “we're not young any more.” Wang Ma threw her husband a glare and he gave in. He had quite liked her, she had seemed like such an agreeable person when he had first become acquainted with her and she had certainly being quite the beauty, Liu Bang himself had considered taking her as a concubine but had been discourage by the fact she and Lü Zhi were such good friends. Still, out of the public eye she denied him any kind of affection more than perhaps a hug and a laugh at a stupid joke. She just wasn't someone who did that kind of thing. It didn't suit her at all.

Wang Ma, to anyone who didn't know her, came across as quite friendly but quiet. She had been taught to read quite early on, her Mother had insisted when she lost any hope of having any more children. If anything she was a tragic character. Both her parents had despised her and were not discreet about it. Her father, Wang Cun, had hated her for simply being a girl. He had needed a male heir, he was inheriting land that had once belonged to a Marquis and yet the only child he was ever cursed with was a useless girl. Her Mother had a slightly better, though still awful, reason for this hatred. Wang Ma had been born quite late on in Chen Hua's life and had almost killed her.

Wang Ma had always been a quiet child, taking to sowing and learning in solitude. She'd had few friends as a child and was doing her very best, however much he tried to discourage her, to prove to her Father that she was still a worthy heir regardless of her gender. Though she had two friends who she had occasionally gone to see and when she was young she had played with them numerous times. They were Lü Zhi, first Empress of Han, and Xiao Qin, Xiao He's daughter. However Qin had died early in childbirth 30 years ago and even now Zhi and Ma still sung the lament they created together after her death.

That was something everyone saw. How close Wang Ma was to Lü Zhi and how much Lü Zhi relied on Wang Ma for little things. No more thread left for embroidery? Wang Ma went and got it. Someone to laugh with or a shoulder to cry on? Wang Ma was always there. Someone to kiss and hold and love? Wang Ma was only waiting to be called.


	2. Twisting Lies

One single thing that seemed to irritate Wang Ma was that, while he was weak, Emperor Hui was not stupid. He seemed to regard her with a slight cautiousness, especially as of late. He had heard her actively criticising Concubine Qi and become much less warm to her, for once actually going to his old wet nurse rather than Wang Ma. Due to her jealousy Wang Ma started to treat Emperor Hui with much less kindness, though subtly of course, if Empress Lu caught onto her being so unkind then Wang Ma would be in much deeper trouble than what could be got out of. 

If she was going to treat him unkindly she did it in her own way. She knew the Emperor's self-esteem was low enough, so why shouldn't she make it even lower? If she saw him she might tell him to brighten up, to smile more! Of course he needed that, the stupid boy might actually be happy for once. Or, if he was acting like a child she tell him to go and play with his friends, acting as if she was still disciplining him in the place of his Mother. The best way she could do it was by talking about the greatness his Father had risen to, and this was the cruellest.

It wasn't the cruellest simply because Hui was Gao's son, oh no, that was far too simple the for great Wang Ma. No, this was cruel because Hui was already in an excellent position, he was the Emperor of China what better position could he be in? That was what essentially left him so prone to offence. His father, Liu Bang, had started off as a peasant and used the mandate of heaven to his advantage, first becoming King of Han only to go and battle it out with all the other kingdoms. Emperor Hui could never amount to something so great, he was weak, useless. 

To remind him of this Wang Ma would spend her time singing the songs that had been borne from conquest after conquest of land. When serving wine for the Emperor and a guest she would confuse Hui's favourite wine with his father's, apologising,  
“I should have known, you are not your father after all, looks do betray.” While the Empress Dowager and others merely saw this as a mistake, even a compliment, Emperor Hui realised exactly what Wang Ma meant and resented her from there on out. Yet he never plucked up the courage to say something to his Mother, not once, even when this happened time and time again. Wang Ma was just too close to the Empress Dowager.

However when it began to take a visible toll on Emperor Hui's health Wang Ma began to be a little more sympathetic. The Emperor was still so young after all, hardly 16 years old, and it was hardly fair for her to kill him off too early. Anyway, he didn't even have a son yet, no heir meant a succession crisis and that was the easiest way to start a war. Starting a war would probably get Wang Ma and her family well out of their position of power and make it completely irreclaimable. Anyway, she still harboured some kind feelings towards the Emperor, she had, after all, done her best to care for him when his mother couldn't. 

“I brought you some tea” Wang Ma smiled as she pushed opened the door, “I heard you weren't feeling too well your highness.”  
“Thank you, Wang Ma” Emperor Hui muttered. Wang Ma set the the tea down on the table and then went to the window and threw open the silk curtains,  
“Your highness you cannot live like this, it's hardly good for you.”  
“Lady Wang close the curtains” Emperor Hui sighed.  
“No, no, this is bad for you, keep them open” Wang Ma insisted, “what would you do if you fell ill now? You're young and fit, you aught to stay that way until you've got bones as old as mine.”

To Wang Ma's surprise Emperor Hui laughed and retreated from the dark seclusion he had been hiding in, lit only by candles. He stood and Wang Ma heard several of his joints crack, he must have been sat for a while to produce such a loud noise.  
“See you are stiff like me your highness” Wang Ma smiled as he appeared in the light pouring from the main window.  
“Wang Ma you are not old, you have many years in you yet” Emperor Hui smiled back, squinting a little in the sun light that he had hidden from in terror.

Wang Ma bowed her head slightly and smiled,  
“I may have years but that doesn't mean these cursed joints will last as long as I do.” She went to the still burning candles and blew them out before opening the other set of curtains, filling the room with light. Emperor Hui watched her, wondering why she was suddenly being so kind to him. Yet at the same time he was wondering how such a woman could be so horrible – even when she was being clever about how she went about it. She appeared harmless. Her once black hair was now almost completely grey and she was a normal height. She looked completely harmless but that didn't stop her tongue being as sharp as an expert swordsman's blade.

“Your majesty what do you...what do you think of death” Wang Ma asked, surprised that she had faltered at all. She was hardly the woman to do such a thing, she'd have to get used to it if she was going to run China.  
“What do I think of it” Emperor Hui repeated. He wasn't sure, he didn't want to die that was for sure. He was terrified of dying, absolutely terrified. Yet other people's deaths well they...they didn't bother him particularly. Well they did, a famine had occurred a little further north and he had immediately sent rations to them so they wouldn't be reduced to what they had been during the Chu-Han contention. Otherwise, when he'd certainly be saddened if they were close to him but otherwise he wasn't even really conscious of it.

“Your majesty are you alright?” Wang Ma asked. Emperor Hui had been stood, his eyes blank as he thought about it. Wang Ma's voice seemed to stun him and he looked as if he were about to topple over as he blinked furiously.   
“I...I'm fine” he answered, forcing himself to smile at her, “I suppose I don't think very much of it, unless they're close to me.” Wang Ma gave him a gentle smile,  
“I suppose that's a good way to think. If everyone's death was on your mind, you'd be miserable.”  
“I suppose you would” Emperor Hui nodded.

Wang Ma left Emperor Hui to his own devices and soon spotted him outside, riding through the fields with his closest friends.   
“Ah! Lady Wang I've been looking for you!” Called a voice. Oh joy. Concubine Qi. Wang Ma turned around and gave Concubine Qi a very forced smile,  
“Is something the matter?”  
“Well, I've seen the Emperor has been ill recently, I saw you come from his rooms, I was wondering if he's alright?” Concubine Qi asked, her words all seeming to melt together. She certainly seemed to be worried but this was a ploy.  
“He's perfectly fine my Lady, if you look out the window you'll see him in the grounds” Wang Ma answered, she then added “I must go, Empress Lu has called for me.”

This was a lie but it was an easy way to get away from Concubine Qi, and anyway she hadn't seen Lu Zhi since the previous morning so why not go and see her now. Out of the corner of her eye Wang Ma saw Concubine Qi rush to the window to see. Now Concubine Qi had asked about the Emperor's health perhaps Wang Ma could use that against her. Asking about the Emperor's health was some what taboo among the old concubines who had children, especially when he hadn't been well. It was as if you wished death on him. So now Concubine Qi had asked this so freely why...she must want Ruyi to take the throne after all. 

When Wang Ma came to Lu Zhi's rooms she was surprised to find the door opened. Lu Zhi tended to keep herself to herself when not in court, putting on quite the impressive façade when around others.  
“My lady are you alright?” Wang Ma asked as she knocked on the door frame. Lu Zhi turned around and smiled at her. She was wearing a brown dress with a black tie around it with nothing more than a bit of cloth to cover her head, her hair down rather than up in some elaborate hair style.

“I'm quite alright, Ma, why would I not be?” Lu Zhi replied, still smiling.   
“You're dressed so plainly Zhi! It's not like you at all” Wang Ma laughed, joining in with the smiling.   
“Have you seen how dusty these rooms have gotten Ma?” Lu Zhi asked, hands on hips and still smiling as she turned to look at Wang Ma properly.  
“I suppose...” Wang Ma replied, not quite sure that she was answering correctly. Lu Zhi gave a laugh and pulled Wang Ma into the room and shut the door, she then kissed her.

It had been a long time since the two women had kissed, at least two years if not more. They had forced themselves to keep their distance during the final campaign that Emperor Gao had gone on. Lu Zhi was known for her predictions and her feelings about the last campaign had not been good ones. She'd been correct as well, her husband had died of an arrow wound only a few months later. Then had been the year of morning and Wang Ma dared not make any kind of advancement, that would be a truly awful thing to do.

When Lu Zhi pulled away Wang Ma took to gently stroking the Empress Dowager's cheek before gently tipping the other woman's head to the side and kissing her neck. Lu Zhi tensed for a moment – it had been so long – before wrapping her arms around Wang Ma's neck, making soft noises as Wang Ma continued to kiss her. Lu Zhi tensed once again as Wang Ma moved the cloth off her shoulder and began to lightly suck on her skin. Not willing to have a mark left on her Lu Zhi pushed Wang Ma away,  
“You came to tell me something, did you not?”  
“Ah yes, about Concubine Qi” Wang Ma nodded, “she's been asking very freely of the Emperor's health, almost as if she were wishing to have him killed.”

Lu Zhi was horrified. How dare that woman even think of displacing her son. Lu Zhi adored her son, however badly she seemed to show it sometimes. Her anger at Gao for wanting Ruyi to succeed him was almost unmeasurable and most importantly all her own, not something that Wang Ma had risen – if anything Wang Ma had been less angry. So with this new threat Lu Zhi just had to do something, she couldn't have that imbecile running the country. With her stupid giggle and brainless comments. Absolutely not.

“What shall we do about her then?” Lu Zhi asked, wondering if Wang Ma had thought of anything yet.  
“I think she should not be our first concern” Wang Ma answered. Lu Zhi frowned at her as she wiped the dust off one of the shelves,  
“Then who?” Wang Ma gave a gentle laugh,  
“Why Ruyi of course.” Lu Zhi glared at Wang Ma,  
“I am not going to kill a child Ma! How dare you suggest such a thing!” Wang Ma sighed,  
“My Lady that is the only way your son's throne can be assured. Ruyi is approaching adulthood, he'll be more of a danger than his mother.”


End file.
